Portable platform



Aug. l2, 1930. R. 1'. RoMlNE PORTABLE PLATFORM Filed Sept. 3, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTD bymuwpzmWYL/q Il HHH HUI. mmm. www

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' PORTABLE PLATFORM Fi 5- ILVE TUFF by MIC*Q\MCDAMYM! Q4 ATIQRNEyi' I 15tremely l Patented Aug. 12, 1930 PATENT oFFlcE ROBERT T. Rom tl IQ'U'NT`S, IICHIGAN ron'rmn m'rronu Application led September 3, 193B. letilllo. 188,371."

beneath the floor of the platform to elevate the platform and its loadand transport it from place to place.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved platform which willbe relatively simplified in construction enabling it to be manufacturedat a relatively low cost, while at the same time being'strong anddurable and capable of sustaining with safety exor fifteen tons. y

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompany- 2 ingdrawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like referencecharacters des-- ignate corresponding parts in the several views. ,n

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating a platform embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

' Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the lift truck in position beneaththe platform with the platform elevated on the truck.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a somewhat modified form of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing another form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of the construction shown in Fig.5.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, and the method ormode of operation embodied therein, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited in its application o to the details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practised or carried out in various ways. Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology -or terminology employed herein is forthe purpose of description and not of limitation, and itis not intendedto limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims heretoappended or the requirements of the prior art.

heavy loads, such as loads of five, ten

Portable platforms which are used 'under present day conditions inconnection with power driven electric lift trucks are required tosustain wide variations in loads, rangin `anywhere from several tons totwelve an even fifteen tons in weight. In addition the loads are notalwa s centred on the latforms and the drivers o the electric truc sseldom use care in propelling the trucks beneath the platforms,frequently striking the legs and subjecting them to severe blows.Furthermore it reflxiently happens that the platforms with t eir loadsare placed on uneven ground so that the floor of the latform will not belevel. In such cases w en the truck platform is `introduced beneath theioor ards and elevated, one end edge or portion of the oor willfrequently receive at first the entire upward thrust, subjecting it tosevere strain which heretofore resulted frequentl in breaking oif thefloor boards at the end o the platform.

It is therefore important in providing a 'commercially satisfactoryplatform not only to reduce to a minimum the cost of manufacture butalso the weight of the platform, while constructing the platform in sucha way as to withstand the various conditions of use and loads of anyweight within a wide range.

It is alsor important that the load be distributed to the greatestpossible extent from the floor boards through the legs, that the upwardthrust of the truck platform be sustained and distributed uniformly fromend to endof the platform, and that the legs be constructed to sustainloads whether centred or not and whether the platform is supported onlevel or uneven ground. In addition it is important that the legs beconstructed to withstand impacts in any rdirection from the trucks or asthe result of collisions while the platforms are being transported fromplace to place. l

The portable platform in the present instance com rises a loadsupporting iioor 9 which pre erably is formed of a series of crossboards. The platform Hoor is bounded around its marginal edges by meansof a metal frame comprising angle bars 10 embracin or confining thelongitudinal edges of the oor and transvcrse angle bars 11 confining theend edges of the floor.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, a sup orting. truss 12 extends len hwisebeneath tllie platform floor at each on 'tudinal side thereof and inthis instance tie truss com rises an an le bar having a vertical guidekange 12l an an inwardl Lextending horizontal flan 12'I which may eriveted to the floor boar s at 12 by means of countersunk rivets.v Thean le bars l2 extend in parallel relation the entire length of theplatform, and the vertical flanges 12n provide guide means for the liftplatform L of a lift truck T when the truck n addition the inwardlyextending flanges 12" of the trusses act both as a supporting means forthe platform boards and also to receive the upward thrust of the truckplatform when elevated to lift the platform and its load. l y

The platform at opposite sides is supported by means of legs 13. Eachleg comprises a vertical bar formed from channel iron. Each channel legtherefore comprises a vertical central web 13 which is positioned backto back with the flange l2 of the truss, and the leg also comprisesvertical flanges 13 extending outwardly from the central web 13". In theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper portions ofthe flanges13" are removed or cut ofi' in any suitable manner and the upper portionof the web 13 bent outwardly to form a lateral flange 13 which bearsagainst the bottom of the floor. The flange 13 may be secured to thefloor by means of rivets 15 extending through the angle iron bindingstrip 10 at the edge of the platform. The central portion of the channel13 is also riveted at 14 to the vertical flange 12 of the truss.

y Each leg also comprises a bar 16 which may be bent into U or V-shapeso as to embrace the lower end of the channel 13. The bar videhorizontal portions 16d bearing against the bottom of the floor andbolted thereto at 18.

Referring to Fig. 4, the platform is constructed in substantially thesame manner as above described, having a load supporting floor andsupporting trusses 12 as shown in Figs. 1\ and 3. In this instance eachleg comprises a vertical channel bar 13 having the central webpositioned back to back with the guide portion 12 of the truss andriveted platform is introduced beneath the platform.

to provide diver ing side or brace members 19, the upper e' ges of whichabut against the outer face of the guide flange 12. The

nt into substantialupper ends of the sides 19 are o positely bent in thedirection of the length o the platform to provide att-aching flanges 19lextending beneath the ends of the floor boards and these parts aresecured to the floor by means of bolts 20. The sides 19'may also besecured to the truss 12 bv means of angle plates 21, one flange of theplate being riveted to the side members 19 at 22, and the other flangeriveted to the guide flan e 12 at 23.

Referring to igs. 5 and 6 each supportin leg for the platform alsocomprises a vertic channel bar 13 having the central web thereofpositioned back to back with the truss 12. In this instance a ussetplate 25 is interposed between the c annel 13 and the flange 12l of thetruss. The leg is riveted at 28 to the gusset plate below the truss flane 12, and the upper end of the le is rivcte at 29 to both the gussetplate an the truss. The

lower end of the leg is provided with a flatfootportion comprising astrip or bar 30 extending across the bottom of the channel and havingside portions 30 riveted at 31 to 0pposite sides of the channel.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a platform ofstrong and durable construction, capable of sustaining varying loads andof distributing the load so as to prevent the platform from buckling orbreaking when engaged by the lift platform of a truck. In addition theplatform is provided with legs capable of sustaining heavy loads withina wide range, and also capable of sustaining blows an im acts resultingfrom collisions by the truc platform or ether shocks to which the legsare subjected 1n use.

What I claim is:

1. In a portable platform the combination of a load supporting floor, apair of an le bars extending beneath said floor in para el relation,each angle bar having a vertical guide flange for a truck and aninwardly extending flange to receive the upward thrust of the truck, agusset plate secured to the outer side of each vertical flange andhaving an outwardly extending flange for supporting the floor, and achannel formed leg secured to each gusset plate.

2. In a portable platform the combination of a load supporting floor, apair of an le bars extending beneath said floor in para el relation,each angle bar having a vertical guide Ilan for a truck and an inwardlyextending ange to receive the upward thrust of the truck, a gusset platesecured to the outer side of each vertlcal flange and hav ing anoutwardly extending flange for sup-A porting the floor, and a lecomprising `a channel member of substantlall less width than said gussetplate and havlng the central web of the channel ositioned back to backwith respect to sai gusset plate and secured thereto.

3. In a portable platform, a load supporting floor comprising a seriesof cross oards, parallel truss members angular in cross sectionextending along opposite under sides of said floor, `usset memberssecured to the outer faces o the truss members and each including anoutwardly extending horizontal flange for supportin the floor, and avertical channel member aving the central web thereof secured to theouter face of said gusset member.

4. In a portable platform, a load supporting floor comprisin a series ofcross boards, parallel truss mem ers angular in cross section extendinalong opposite under sides of said floor, an a leg structure comprisinga gusset member and a vertical channel memer, the gusset member havinggreater width than said channel and extending below the truss member tostifen the channel member.

5. In a portable platform, in combination, a load supporting Hoor,parallel truss members angular in cross section extending longitudinallyalong opposite under sides of the floor, and a leg structure comprisinga sset member abutting against and secure to the outer side o f a trussmember and having an outwardly extending flange supporting the floor andalso comprising a leg member secured to the outer side of the gussetmember beneath said flange.

6. In a portable platform, in combination, a load supporting floor,parallel truss members angular in cross section extendin longitudinallyalong opposite under si es of the oor, and a leg structure comprising agusset member having a flat web abutting against and secured to theouter side of a truss member and having at its upper edge a flangeextending outwardly from said web in parallelism with the undersurfaceof the floor and serving to support the latter and also comprising a legmember secured to the outer side of the gusset member web beneath saidflan e, said gusset member extending below sald truss member to stifl'enthe leg.

In testimony whereof I ailix my si ature.

ROBERT T. RO NE.

